The man was a study in contrasts. He was tall, on the verge
of gaunt yet sinewy and gave off an air of strength that was palpable. He wore
a robe of some indeterminate material, animal hide belt and the locks and long
hair plus beard of the Sons of the Prophets without the hungry look. At first glance
one assumed he was old. However, a second look cast doubt on the previous and
one was almost convinced he was a young man. It added to the mystery of the man
who no one knew his genealogy. He simply showed up one day; no past, no peers and
scared the misbehaviour out of people.
What was said of him was, on a good day, perplexing. Zarephath
and the whole nation had gone agog with the news that he brought a widow's son
back to life. Whilst economic recession and famine ravaged the land (it was
whispered in some quarters that he had a hand in those) the woman made sure he
food to eat.
Then today, today with a bright sun that almost dispelled
the gloom over the tiny, land-locked nation, he called down fire. He literally
got fire to fall from the sky in a contest for supremacy with 450 Baal
prophets. That act proclaimed Yahweh the one try God. Subsequently, without blinking,
he'd executed all of the men in the Kishon Valley. Nobody had dared cough, not
even his majesty who used to employ their services. He did not want to incur
the wrath of the most powerful National Prophet Israel had ever seen. Even the 400
priests of the queen's Asherah cult, did not stay back to defend the honour of
their colleagues (or their jointly disgraced god and goddess). They scattered in
different directions. Afterall, life is for (the) living.
Having disposed of the nuisances, Elijah came back to Mount
Carmel and Ahab the king. His majesty was still at the spot he was when the fire
touched down.
“Now, go, eat, and drink, because a heavy rain is coming.” Elijah said to him. So Ahab went off to eat
and drink. But the seer climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground
and put his face between his knees and began to pray. He knew that ending a
three-year old drought (or any strong situation) required some serious intercession.
He remained there, calling that which was not into existence.
It took some time and seven visits, by his servant, in the
direction of the sea before reporting a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, as rising
up from the sea.
After a short while, the sky was covered with dark clouds, the
wind rose and a heavy rain began to fall. The rainmaker tightened his clothes
around him and ran all the way to Jezreel, arriving before the royal chariot.
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